Improvement in iron abutments for bridges



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Letters Patent No.111,636, dated February 7,1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN-lRoN ABuTMEN'rsF'oR' BRIDGES.'

The Schedule referred to in these Letter-s Patent and making part of thesame.

To all wlwnvfitonay conce/rn detached.

- The object of' this 4invention is to provide for the public animproved method of constructing iron abutments or piers for bridges, bywhich they can be made substantial and durable, with less expenditure oftime, labor, and money than heretofore, and so that when the plates getbroken by ice or other cause new plates can readily be inserted in placeof the old i ones without the necessity of taking any part of the pierto pieces.

In the drawing- A A represent a horizontal wooden frame or foundation,which is to rest ou the bottom or' in a bed excavated, cron a basebnilt` up for the purpose.

B B B are vertical tubular iron columns, provided with a bottom angc, b,through which they are bolted to the frame Afa-nd with a top flange, b',

which-support the iron cap-pieces C.

lOrdinarily there are to beive columns, so placed l `a screwcouplingas-in case of ordinary metallic bridge-stays, so that the length of thestay can be adjusted at pleasure.

The two rear columns areto be cast with a single vertical slot on theirfront sides, to receive and hold thefends of the iron plates whichconstitute 'theside walls of the pier;

The three front columns are each cast with two of these grooves, themiddle column having the grooves diametrically opposite, and the cornercolumns having them a litt-le more than ninety degrees apart, in orderto hold the ends of the front and side plates height.

and permit the columns to be arranged relatively to each other, as shownin fig. 2. V

Oi' course other arrangements of the columns might be made, as, forinstance, a semicrcular or a triangular one, in which case the grooves.would have to be cast accordingly, v Y

- "The iron plates'E vE are cast in the form shown inig. .3, havingtheends rebated at e e, andthe middle strengthened by ribs, e'- e', cast on'the rear side of the plates. Thus formed, these` plates are simplyraised .on edge and" slid down inthe vertical grooves till thc lowercourse' rests on the frame tiuibers. Other courses are then added, eachresting on the edge of that beneath it,I until the' walls are of thepropel' A' lJhe cap-pieces G C vare then placed in position-and boltedAfirmly to the top anges of the columns, and

the whole space inclosed within the walls is iilled up with stones,dirt," &c.

The tubular columns B Bare cutaway at the edge ofthe grooves to thewidth of a single plate, as shown at m m, or the column is cast in thatform.

rLhe plates can be inserted at any time witho ut removing the caps ordisturbing 4any part of the pier or bridge.

Upon tire cap-piece over the jfront corner columns, arc fastenedbed-pieces, G G, of metal, thicker at their middle than at their ends,and provided with a lateral groove or bearing, in which rocks asupportingplate, H, that sustains the bridge-timbers.

The under side lof the plate H is cast with a lateral rib, which restsin the groove-bearing, and truunions, t t, may be cast on the lateraledges of the plate,

adapted to work in lues or boxes or under strapsat- Jcached to orforming put of the bed-pieces G G.

vThe upperlsurice of the lplates H may be channeled out, or providedwith side-flanges to hold the bridge-timbers more securely.

'The object of constructing these plates so as to permit them to rock intheir bearings is that they may accommodate their positionto theinclination oi' `the bridge-timbers'.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

ln an ironabntment for bridges, the tubular longitudinally-,groovedcolumns B B, cut away at fm.' m to allow the insertion of plates E E, inthe manner and for the purpose described.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 14th day ofSeptember, A. D. 1870.

Witnesses: V JACOB S. GOSHORN.

DAVID H. Common, W. G. Common.

